Healthy Hearts Viera owners believe happiness lies in healthy eating

Organic food entrées are at the center of Healthy Hearts Viera, a new carry-out eatery at TCS Kitchen in Suntree.

The philosophy behind the meals from Healthy Hearts Viera is that without chemicals and additives, food is more nourishing and less stressful to the body.

“Good, wholesome, organic food has so much impact on your overall health,” said co-owner Sherry Chang.“We've witnessed many accounts of people reversing ailments through diet change to the point where medications were no longer needed.”

Chang, who studied macrobiotics, ran a café on Guam for 12 years and brings that experience to Healthy Hearts Viera.

“Macrobiotics is about eating a balanced diet as it relates to our bodies pH balance,” Chang said.

In Guam, Chang and her sister Jeanie Cooper emphasized the importance of healthy eating to customers.

Sisters Chang and Cooper have a combination of family recipes and a food philosophy that goes along with the cooking. Asian and coming from Guam, they brought two different styles of cuisine.

“While most of the produce we use can be sourced locally, others require ingredients from Asian countries,” Chang said.“We do also bring in bulk orders of certain organic ingredients when necessary.”

With assistance and mentorship from Tim and Karen Shea at TCS Kitchen, Healthy Hearts Viera is off to a promising start.

“Instead of jumping in head first and opening a cafe again, we decided to take baby steps,” Chang said. “Farmers markets have been a great way of introducing ourselves and getting feedback.”